I worked as a Library Assistant for Newfoundland and Labrador Public Libraries while doing my MA in St. John’s, which opened my eyes to the library world. I found myself really connecting with many aspects of library work, as it seemed to build on my natural instincts for problem solving and helping others. Shortly after that, I realized that I wanted to settle into a career path with some stability that would build on my existing experiences, as I had been floating around the arts and heritage sector for some time. I chose Dal because I wanted to get back to the east coast.

What drew you to the internship opportunity at the Dal Libraries?

I had heard positive things about the internship within the department, especially from previous interns. I was also excited to put some of what we’d been learning in the MI program into practice. Having some experience in public libraries, I saw this as valuable opportunity to learn about a different area of librarianship and develop some professional skills in an academic library setting. It seemed like more than your typical “internship” position, with an emphasis on individualized learning and creating connections between emerging and established librarians, which has definitely proven true!

What’s your educational background?

I have a BA in Art History and Visual Studies from University of Toronto and an MA in Public Folklore from Memorial University.

What projects have you worked on so far during your internship?

We’ve been working on all kinds of things. I’ve really appreciated the level of attention and care in providing us with a thorough introduction to the Dal Libraries system and its reference services, in particular. Part of my role includes providing reference support, so I’ve been working closely with the reference librarians to learn about their specialized areas and the many nuances of responding to research requests, as a “multidisciplinary” intern.

In terms of projects, I’ve mostly focused on collections work, including a collections analysis to ensure materials are available for new courses, identifying potential items for purchase, updating vendor database records, and writing a blog post to promote library resources. We’ve also had the opportunity to help with a Wikipedia Edit-a-Thon for Indigenous History Month, as well as the ABC Copyright Conference. We’ll be getting into some LibGuide and weeding projects, among other things, as the summer unfolds.

I was interested in pursuing librarianship as a career, and I had always wanted to live by the ocean, so Dal was the clear choice! I also liked that the program was broad and allowed you to focus your studies in several different areas of information management.

What drew you to the internship opportunity at the Dal Libraries?

I was drawn to the internship opportunities at Dal because it felt like a great chance to get practical experience in an academic library setting. I was especially drawn to the Kellogg internship because of its focus on health and medicine. During my first year in the MI program, we had a few health librarians come speak with us, and the emphasis the field seemed to place on knowledge synthesis and complex database searching really appealed to me. I was also just excited for the opportunity to learn more about the health sciences in general – it is a field that I didn’t have much prior knowledge of but that I had always had an interest in.

What’s your educational background?

I have an BAH in Political Studies from Queen’s University.

What projects have you worked on so far during your internship?

So far, I have started work on creating a resource guide to support Dalhousie’s new Physician Assistant Studies program. Rebecca and I have also been preparing to deliver a session for the PLANS Prep Institute program this July. We have also been involved with general reference work (lots of shadowing to learn!) and helping various patrons develop and translate their searches!

Growing up, I knew I wanted to be a librarian. Coming from the Maritimes, I knew Dalhousie would be the best option for me financially, and living in Halifax has always been on my bucket list.

What drew you to the internship opportunity at the Dal Libraries?

The second-year MI students! Prior to starting this program, I already had experience working in a couple public libraries, and I was a student assistant at my alma mater’s library for most of my undergraduate degree. Already having an interest in academic librarianship, and hearing from the upper-year students who were interns themselves, I knew this opportunity would be extremely beneficial to both my education and potential career endeavours. By being a multidisciplinary intern, I get the chance to explore various faculties in addition to working at more than one library at Dal.

What’s your educational background?

I have a Bachelor of Arts from Mount Allison University. I majored in Canadian Studies with a double minor in French and Political Science.

What projects have you worked on so far during your internship?

The multidisciplinary aspect of the internship has been exciting in relation to the projects I get to work on. In addition to offering reference help, I have been part of collections development for faculties like Engineering and Agriculture. I’ve gained experience in Alma by helping cleanup vendor data, as well as reviewing LibGuides. Later, I will get the opportunity to explore the Open Journals System with a DOI registration project, and I’ve helped with some special events like the Wikipedia Edit-a-thon and the ABC Copyright Conference.

The opportunity to continue my education in Nova Scotia and make connections with local professionals certainly drew me to the MI program at Dal. I was impressed by the broad scope of the program paired with the ability to show a focus through the certificate options. Through the MI program, I’m able to engage with my passion for Archives while exploring other aspects of the information management field.

What drew you to the internship opportunity at the Dal Libraries?

Word of mouth! Before arriving in Halifax, a recent graduate from the MI program told me how valuable they found their internship at the Dal Libraries. When the call for applications came out, I jumped at the opportunity to broaden my archival experience. Having previously worked in a smaller institution, I wanted to experience firsthand the role the University Archives play within the Dalhousie Libraries system regarding knowledge creation, communication, and scholarship.

What’s your educational background?

After finishing high school, I spent two years at the Southern Alberta Institute of Massage. I worked for another two or so years as a Registered Massage Therapist before moving to Nova Scotia and attending Cape Breton University. I originally intended to complete a BA in Psychology but was swayed to History by my third year through the mentorship of some incredible professors and my work at the Beaton Institute Archives. I decided to complete a thesis and graduated from CBU with an Honours in History.

What projects have you worked on so far during your internship?

I am working remotely this summer from Cape Breton and have been engaging with material from a distance. I am excited to begin working with collections and providing reference service in-person this coming fall!

During my time in post-secondary and while working, I found myself drawn to any projects that let me learn – particulary projects focused on compiling data, organizing information, and where I was the go-to person for questions. This set me on the path to becoming a librarian!

I was initially drawn to the advanced technology courses offered in Dalhousie’s MI program, and the opportunities for work experience through practicums and internships. But what really set Dal apart for me from other schools in Canada was the small cohort size: it felt like a great environment to learn, get to know other students, and interact with professors in a meaningful way.

What’s your educational background?

I have a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from the University of Calgary and spent four years working on a Master of Science in Sport Medicine before withdrawing and changing direction. During my time away from school, I worked in communications for a charity that did community development and health promotion projects in schools throughout Alberta.

What drew you to the internship opportunity at the Dal Libraries?

I was especially drawn to the W.K. Kellogg internship because it is situated at the intersection of health and librarianship – the area I was coming from and the career I was moving toward. I felt I could meaningfully tap into my health background and apply that knowledge alongside what I’ve been learning in the MI program. I also wanted to get better at advanced search techniques and work on knowledge synthesis projects, and both of those things are big in academic health libraries!

What projects have you worked on so far during your internship?

I’ve been mainly working at the Kellogg’s reference and research services desk, which fields questions from students, faculty, staff, and community members. The work is varied, so I’ve done everything from tracking down difficult-to-find research articles, coaching students on searching databases, reviewing search strings for research teams conducting reviews, and more! I’m also in the midst of planning a 2-hr instructional session for local high school students as part of the PLANS Prep Institute (https://medicine.dal.ca/departments/core-units/global-health/plans.html) at Dalhousie University.

Rightfully assuming that the law library would be vital to my legal education, I took on a part-time job at the Sir James Dunn Law Library when I started law school in Fall 2022. Nearly instantly, I fell in love with the work I saw librarians doing in my law school community and beyond – I knew that I wanted to be part of this exciting profession where I could help people solve complex problems. Dalhousie is one of only two universities in Canada to offer the opportunity to pursue a JD alongside an ALA-accredited MI, so early that winter I applied for the MI program to which I was thankfully accepted! I am so grateful to be able to combine my law degree with a Master of Information and am lucky to be able to study here at home in the Maritimes.

What drew you to the internship opportunity at the Dal Libraries?

I was drawn to the internship opportunity at Dal Libraries because it was a chance to get hands-on experience in an academic law library environment. This has allowed me to contextualize the knowledge from in my information studies classes and legal coursework, translating these concepts into practical skills that I will no doubt be using throughout my career in legal librarianship.

What’s your educational background?

I attended the University of King’s College in 2017/18 and went on to graduate from Toronto Metropolitan University in 2022 with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and minors in Political Science and Philosophy.

What projects have you worked on so far during your internship?

So far in my internship, I have performed reference work, helped to review and revise our reserve collection, done daily circulation tasks like reshelving and updating our looseleaf services, aided in legal research instruction, and participated in planning the refurbishment of parts of our library. Since I am particularly interested in academic law libraries, the opportunity to sit in on librarian meetings and working groups for various projects has been especially insightful and informative. There are many exciting projects on the horizon as well – I am especially looking forward to helping the librarians do a shelf read and weed our collection over the next month, as I have a particular interest in collections management at the moment. It’s been wonderful to do a little bit of everything rather than one or two big projects, as this lets me get a better feel for all of the different tasks, big and small, that go into making the Dunn Law Library a functional, welcoming space for patrons.